It has been one week since our lives changed in the biggest and best way. Here is how I remember it:
Friday 2/3 – 9am
“Why don't you just leave work if you're having contractions?!”
Because I'm stubborn. I had a funny feeling it would be my last day of work and there wouldn't be a 'next Monday' for me. There were a few things I still needed to wrap up and besides, contractions were only an hour apart...no biggy.
Saturday 2/4 – 3:30am
I normally wake up about this time to go to work every day, but when this happens on a weekend, I never have trouble falling back asleep. But my contractions seemed pretty consistent and pain level was only at about a 3. I grabbed my phone and started timing them...10 minutes apart. Knowing this phase could last hours, I started to slowly and calmly get ready for the hospital. I finished packing the last few items into my overnight bag, hopped in the shower, plucked my eyebrows (very important to do during labor), then woke Mathias.
For the next 8 hours, my contractions continued at precisely 10 minutes apart. The human body is a crazy thing. To be so consistent and predictable to do something at exactly 10 minute intervals on the dot is incredible. In the middle of contractions, I took time to notice this phenomenon and focused on that just as it was encouraged in one of my birthing meditation books. This awareness helped me abate fear induced anxiety, allowed me to remain calm, and eased tension I was holding in my muscles.
We were advised to call the doctor when they were 3-5 min. apart. Around 11pm we went to lay down to sleep when we hit that 5 min. mark. My pain level jumped to a 6, so we were out the door headed to the hospital. We were an hour away from our due date and ready to meet our baby. Cue the Yoga Nidra techniques!
Sunday 2/5 – 3:30am
Walking out of the hospital felt both relieving and discouraging. We found out I was only 1 cm dilated and were advised to return once my water broke or contractions were 2-3 min apart or became unbearable.
Sunday 2/5 – 11pm
Needless to say, with contractions coming every 5-8 minutes for the past 24 hours, I was unable to sleep after leaving the hospital. Throughout the day, pain level slowly increased until the Super Bowl, when they were beginning to become unbearable. Not even Gaga's amazing performance was enough to distract me from my, now, level 8 pain. My contractions were not speeding up though, which was getting frustrating because I was now dreading each wave. I didn't know how much more of it I could take and my frustration became fear..fear of the next wave of flashing pain. I released the most genuine and defeated tears and whimpered to Mathias, “Let's go to the hospital.” The last 6 contractions before I accepted an epidural was blinding, level 10 pain. Then came sweet, numbing relief. Ahh...and sleep finally!
Monday 2/6 – 11am
The doctor said, “I'll be right back.”
You'll be right back?! What the fuck am I supposed to do until then, my legs are in stirrups?!
The on-call doc delivering had been pulled away from a hysterectomy to see me...which apparently now needed his more immediate attention again so he tapped my knee, apologized, and left the room. It's cool, I'll just chill here! He wasn't gone long and after 45 minutes of, what I consider nearly painless pushing, our baby girl was here!!
Her name is Grace Scarlett Hickman. She was born Monday, February 6th at 11:22am, weighing 6lb 7oz and is 20.5” long. She is perfect.
Grace was Mathias's great grandmother's name and Scarlett, a nod to his favorite color.
